I like the cover, it's a very old school Vagabond shot, and the geezers return!

As for kills, uhhh, 60-62? I lost count, so I'm just subtracting the 6 guys from the last panel plus Ueda and Kurando from 70, it's just easier at this point. =)

What is Tagaya doing? It seems like he should've been killed already, where was he when Yoichi got killed? It's like Inoue just forgets about these guys when he's not drawing them. I still get the sense he writes these things from issue to issue; though, I'm not complaining, there's something fittingly exhilarating about it.

Me too, that's why I mentioned him, because it's strange that he was MIA when Yoichi was killed (he probably could have been a big help). Before it looked like he was part of Yoichi's party, but by the time they made their way to the battle, he was gone, only to reappear now. So, either he left earlier after the Ten Swords disbanded ans it was a different guy (looked a bit different, outfit and all), or nature called? =)

Actually that wasn't him...267 just came out and Tagaya attacks Musashi, he might be dead now but it was....well just go see yourselves.

Yeah, that's what we're talking about now, and before I updated my post when 237 dropped I mentioned that the guy you referenced getting killed in 236 couldn't have been Tagaya because... well, he had a different face and clothes and the situation was totally different than you described. =)

Final panel = teh awesome, and all the ones before it, anyway. Man, what a bloody mess, can't wait for the next... well, it's only three days away again already.

I was happy to see the hair finally let down. =)

And I really like the nature of the little powwow between Ueda and Kurando. Speaking of which, I'm looking forward to seeing Musashi's reaction to zombie Ueda, especially since he may think it's over (yet the spiral truly never seems to end). I can imagine anything from not even taking notice to thinking the Yoshioka's ghosts are now attacking him.

BTW, what do you think are the odds of Kurando possibly walking away from this? It would be a shame for there to literally be no remnant of the school left.

I've just read last thirteen chapters.Right now I'm as in trance as Musashi is.That damn Inoue is way beyond "good" right now.

I think I need to get laid a bit.That was exhausting.

Yeah, reading them all in one sitting like that is an experience beyond most, if not all, of the series' action sequences. Kinda makes me want to read back through vol 3-4 and 21-22, to see how different things were when this scenario came about. On reflection, it's pretty depressing to think of Musashi goading Seijuro into fighting. Poor guy.

As if it weren't obvious at this point, after this, I say Musashi is done with the spiral.

As if it weren't obvious at this point, after this, I say Musashi is done with the spiral.

I think it's a bit premature to say anything like that with certainty at this point. I guess it depends on what you define as the spiral of death and killing beyond a phrase Musashi uses; which has been applied to himself, Kohei, Kojiro, and which theoretically applies to all those living by the sword. I don't think there's anything obvious about it certainly, even to Musashi who's still struggling to understand the way himself. What you're saying, as Musashi has used the expression, could technically amount to retirement from the way of the sword (the spiral and some form of ultimate realization may not be mutually exclusive). I'd like to see him turn into farmer Musashi for a while, transcend killing through the sheer force of his power (we'd likely see more of this phase in confrontations with opponents like Gonnosuke), but we don't know all that "the spiral" encompasses, let alone what being "done" with it would mean.

Maybe he'll change the name of his euphemism, I suppose he could kill Sasaki Kojiro as part of the spiral of death and enlightenment. =)

I don't see how he could continue the way he is after the realization he came to in 237. I may be overjudging the seriousness of his current injury but he nearly died then, and I'm pretty sure he knows it too.

I don't see how he could continue the way he is after the realization he came to in 237. I may be overjudging the seriousness of his current injury but he nearly died then, and I'm pretty sure he knows it too.

Well, now I'm not even sure we're talking about the same thing. You make it sound like Musashi is going to be spooked almost. I mean, I don't think the possibility of death is such a realization to one who has years of experience putting their life behind their sword, and one who was forsaking that very life by going there in the first place. Musashi isn't so ignorant of his mortality at this point, perhaps more aware than ever. I think it's more about that kindness that comes with true strength, he's already seeing things he didn't before, and doesn't want to necessarily slay all these people exactly because he already knows he can, a struggle that first started with Den. He wasn't ready with Den, and circumstances don't permit it with this mob, but I think the ugliness of this situation all around (including your point about his wounds) is what has implications for his future. It is a big step though, since he technically hasn't been able move on from this since volume 3, it's the same struggle that started with his "vulgar ambition" a Ueda described it.

And let's not go overboard on his injury just yet; remember, a katana sliced into his eyelid and didn't do permanant damage or even leave a scar. =)

I guess what drew my attention about the wound was his exposed brain matter.

Brain matter or not (which is inconclusive, and not likely, we just like to say it's so because that's cooler than "a head wound" =), the injury was already less serious in this chapter than it appeared in the last, as always. He'll put a band-aid on it and we'll hear that he almost dyed from his injuries later on, after the fact, "It was so bad, I was on the brink of death for days."